The performer was hospitalized in stable condition after an arrow missed its foam target during a New York county fair.
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — A circus performer was struck in the neck by an arrow after a crossbow shot missed its intended target during a live show at the Orange County Fair, according to New York State Police and circus representatives.
The accident happened at about 9:30 p.m. July 24 during a Circus Murcia performance at the fair in Wallkill, northwest of New York City. Police identified the injured performer as 38-year-old Edwin Cuervo Rangel of Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Police said Cuervo Rangel was holding a foam target as part of a crossbow sharpshooting routine when fellow performer Ana Daza Tavera, 42, fired an arrow. The shot struck Cuervo Rangel instead of the target. The two performers are married and work together in the traveling act.
Emergency crews responded inside the circus tent, and the audience was evacuated. Cuervo Rangel was flown to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla while in stable condition. No spectators or other performers were reported injured.
Benjamin Jackson, the Circus Murcia ringmaster, said the arrow struck the side of Cuervo Rangel’s neck in an area containing mostly soft tissue. Major blood vessels were not damaged, he said. Medical workers safely removed the arrow and closed the injury with stitches.
Cuervo Rangel was released from the hospital the following day, according to the circus. He was able to walk, speak and eat after receiving treatment and is expected to make a full recovery, though he will need time to heal before returning to the act.
Circus Murcia canceled the remainder of its Friday night show after the accident. Performances resumed Saturday without the crossbow routine. The company described the injury as an isolated accident and said there was no continuing danger to audiences.
The incident occurred during the circus’s first appearance at the Orange County Fair. Its program includes aerial performances, motorcycle acts and other routines designed around controlled risk, but the crossbow segment remained suspended while Cuervo Rangel recovered.
State police conducted a preliminary investigation and reported that the arrow struck Cuervo Rangel accidentally. No criminal charges had been announced, and authorities had not reported evidence that the performer was intentionally injured.
Circus officials requested privacy for Cuervo Rangel and his family. No date had been announced for his return to performing or for the crossbow act to rejoin the show.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.